Liquid vending machine



May 12, 1931. w. c. F. KRUEGER LIQUID VENDING MACHINE Filled Aug. 19, 1929 Patented May 12, 1931 UNIT-ED stares ars-Nr AFF-ICE WILLIAM 0.1". KRUEGER, orA DETROIT, MICHIGAN LIQUID VENDNG MACE-HNE Application filed August 19, 1929. Serial No. 386,962.

A further object of .the invention is'to provide an improved yliquid vending ma-y chine including a liquid container and means for causing a quantity of balls to be successively projected into the container for 1o the purpose of displacing successive quan- Atities of liquid contents of the container through a spout provided therefor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved liquid vending machine including a liquid container and a coin-controlled means for successively projecting one of a series of balls into the container to displace successive'quantities of liquid therefrom, the vending' mechanism including means whereby the coin becomes a part ofthe operating mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved coin-controlled liquid vending mechanism including means for automatically closing the coin ingress means whenthe contents of the liquid container have been depleted.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and eifective meansA for vending or dispensing small quantities of liquid from a container. s n

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, ar-

rangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated `are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed Aout in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: y

Figure'l is a perspectiveview of plete device.

the com- Figure 2 is a horizontal section on anv enlarged scale on the line 2 2 of- Figure 1. vFigure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Figure 2. p

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the coincontrolled operating mechanism on the line 4.-4 of Figure 2.

Figure '5` is a detail cross section through the coin-controlled operating mechanism on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

.in the accompanying drawings, IA have employed the numeral v1Q to designate generally a cabinet orhousing and this cabinet may be providedat one side with aA-hinged door 1 1 having' suitable means for locking it in closed position..V s

Mounted withinthe cabinet 10 is a. liquid4 containing receptacle 12. .The receptacle 12 6o maybe in the form of the ordinary glass fruit jar having a` threadedneck to receive a screwcap.,

AI have provided a special cap 13 for the receptacle, which cap'is formed with a tube 14 communicating therethrough and extending upwardly from itscentral portion. The tube 14' is openat its upper end and preferably is enlarged .to providelv a funnelshapedV upper end portion 15. The cap 13 is mounted on the receptacle 12 with a suitable gasket 16 interposed. y

A platform 17- is` mounted horizontally across a portion,l ofthe cabinet 10 at an elevation'corresponding approximately with the horizontal plane of the upper end of the tube. lwhenthe liquid receptacle is in place inthe cabinet. The platform 17 carries the operating mechanism or coin-controlled vending mechanism. SO

It is my purpose to provide a series of objects' such as spheres or balls which may be. contained in .the upper Apart of the .cabinet I lO'and be fedsuccessively by force of gravity to a position where they may be projectg5 ed into the.liquidreceptacle 12 through the tube 1i, byoperation of the4 coin-.controlied vending mechanism. f -v In the drawing, I have illustra-ted a proferred means for receiving and conveying the balls 1K8. This means includes a tubular conveyor 19 suitably fixed in the upper part of the ,cabinet 10.I As here shown, the tubu'- lar conveyor `19, is formed of a coiled piece of wire andthe conveyor is coiled or ar-` ranged in spiral form in order to save space and yetprovide the required degree of inclination topermit the balls to travel downwardly therein.

The lower endof the tubular conveyor 19 is arranged in a position near one margin of the platform 17 and is arranged to discharge the balls 18 successively to a shallow cup 20 carried by the platform at a point near the bell-shaped upper end of the tube 14twhich leads to the liquid receptacle.

As shown in Figure 2, a shield 21 may be provided at the side of the cup 20 opposite to the mouth of the tubular conveyor 19, to prevent the balls 18 from over running the cup. The shield 21 is not shown in Figure 3 and it is to be understood that dependence may be placed upon the formation of the cup 20 for insuring the proper positioning of the balls therein.

` The liquid vending mechanism includes a frame 22 mounted upon the platform 17 and members slidably mounted upon the frame for causing the balls 18 to be successively projected from the cup 20 into the liquid receptacle. l

The frame 22 includes a pair of Vspaced parallel walls extending from one wall of the cabinet 10 toward and on oppositesides 'i of the ball receiving cup 20. The walls of the frame 22 constitute tracks or guides for the sliding members about Vto be described.

A plunger is slidably mounted in the rear or outer part of the frame 22 and includes a coin receptacle 23 andV a stem 24E fixed thereto and extending slidably through the adjacent wall of the cabinet 10. The stem 24 may be formed with a knob or head 25 onits outer end to receive manual pressure `for operating the device.

A coinv slot 2,6 is formed in the wall of the cabinet 10 above the plunger stem 24 and said slot communicates with a coi-n chute 27 which leads inwardly and downwardly at an angle to a position above the normal position of the coinreceptacle 23. rllhe slot 26 is arranged horizontally7 and the chute 2T is adapted to receive a coin such as 28 and deliver it to a slotted opening 29 formed transversely of the ycoin receptacle 23, as shown in Figurel 4. Y

YThe coin receptacle 23 rests rslidably on the rear portion of the platform 17 and between the rear portions of the walls of theframe 22. It is formed at its side inarginsl with flanges or flns- 30 extending thro-ugh longitudinal slots 31 in the side walls of the frame 22. v

The coin receptacle 23 normally is held in retracted' position, in Aa position close to the adjacent wall of the cabinet `10, byA

means of springs 32. I have shown 'two of' the springs 32, one on each side of the coin receptacle and lixed'to the projecting ends of the flanges 30 and at their oppositeV ends' to the wall of the housing.

Slidably mounted the forwardor inner part of the frame 22 is a projec 1g. member 33, Awhich has a part v-adapte'd toengage a ball 18 resting' on" t-he cup ZO eause'the 'ball to be rolled from the cup into the upper end of the tube 14.

The projecting member 33 may be relatively narrow in its forward portion, as shown in Figure 2, so that it may be slidably received between guide pins 34 projecting upwardly from the platform 17. At the rear end of this narrow portion, the projecting member is formed with a pair of shoulders 35, adapted to engage the pins 3l for limiting the forward or inward movement of the member.

The rearmost portion of the projecting member 33 is of still greater width and is provided with flanged members 36 extending through slots 37 formed in the walls of the frame 22.

It will be noted from Figure 3 that the slots 37 which form guides or tracks for the projecting member are arranged on a horizontal plane above the slots 31 which form guides` or tracks for the coin receptacle 23.

It will also be noted, particularly from the showing of Figure 4, that the rear portion of the projecting member 3.3 is located Wholly above the coin receptacle- 23 so' that the lattermenrber may move freely beneath the projectingv member Without causing a movement of the latter.

In order to effect an inward movement of the projecting member 33 simultaneously with a` movement of the plunger device and coin receptacle 23, it is necessary to place a suitable coin such as 28 in the coin slot 26 so that it will enter the transverse slot 29 and occupy the position shown in Figure 4. In this position, the coin 28 projects upiif'ard-ly from the receptacle 23, across the planeY of the rear end of the projector 33, and becomes a part of the operating or vending mechanism.

It will be obvious that whena coin such as 28 has been received in the coin receptacle 23, an inward movement of the rcceptacle, occasioned by manual pressure on the knob of the stem V24, will cause the projecting portion of the coin to engage the rearY end of the projecting member 33, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4 and thereby cause the projecting member to travel inwardly for engagement with a ball 18` resting on the cup 20.

This movement causes the ball 1 8 to be projected into the liquid receptacle 12 to displace a portion of the liquid contents thereof. y A

The liquid so displaced is. delivered through the tufbe 14 and through a delivery spout38 leading laterally therefrom through an opening 39 in one wall of the'ca'binet 10.

I t is, ofcourse, necessary to. keep the container 12 supplied with! liquid to a level corresponding with the' ylower margin of the outlet from the tube let to' the delivery spout into the container.

lVhen pressure on the stem of the plunger device is released, the coinreceptacle 23 will be retracted toward the adjacent Wall of Ythe cabinet by means of `tlie springs 32.

The plunger device is provided with means for simultaneously retracting the projecting member and this means includes a hooked member i'iXed to the forward part of the member 23 and extending forwardly into engagement with one of the shoulders such as 41 at the forward margin of the wider part of the projecting member 33.

It is obvious that unless a proper coin is .inserted in the slot 26 and received into the coin receptacle 23, the plunger mechanism may be moved freely on the platform 17 without causing any corresponding movement of the projecting member 3?) because the hooked mein'ber 40 has a loose engagement with the projecting member and does not cause a movement thereof except in a rearward direction.

ln other words, it is necessary to have a coin such as 28 in a position to project upwardly from the plunger device into` engagement with the rear end of the projecting member, in order to effect a forward movement of the latter member when prescoin receptacle 23 hasbeen moved forwardly far enough to cause an operative movement of the projecting member 33.

Rearward movement of the coin receptacle 28 and of the projecting` member 33 may be limited by the parts projecting through the respective slots 31 and 87 so that the parts will be properly positioned for receiving the coin 28 and for causing the desired projecting operation.

llVhen one of the balls18 is displaced from the cup 20 by operation of the project ing member 33, another ball will at once assume its position upon the cup, as soon as the projecting member is withdrawn, in readiness for another operation..

It is obvious that the device may be constructed so as to receive any desired number of balls and that these balls may beV of any desired diameter so as to displace and thereby dispense the desired quantity of liquid. The balls may be of any suitable material such as glass or non-corrosive meta-l.

ln order to facilitate the passage of liquid through the tube 14 and delivery spout '38, l have found it desirable to provide these parts with a coatingV of paran or the like,

which `will permit the liquid to along the walls.

'In Figure 3, I have shown an automatic closing means for the coin slot 26 which may be employed if desired,to prevent the insertion of coins when the supply of liquid in the receptacle 12 has beendepletedby insertion 'o'fballs 18.

According to this construction, the receptacle 12 is mounted on a support 43 which is pivoted between its ends on a pin or bolt 44. The opposite end of the pivoted support 43 is supplied with a counterbalance weight 45, which maybe adjustable longitudinally of thel support if desired.

ffow. freely Downward movement ofthe weighted endk of the pivoted support 43 is limited by a stop or bracket 4G projecting inwardly from one wall of the cabinet 10.

ylPivpoted to the weighted end of the pivoted support 43, at the point 47, is a bar 48 which projects upwardly along one wall of the cabinet 10 and `has its upperveiid received in arslot or opening formed at the base of the coin chute 27, as shown in Figure4. y r. .i

lThe parts are so arranged that wlienthe receptacle 12 is filled with the liquid to be dispensed, the counter-balance Weight 45 will overbalance the weight of the receptacle and its contents and cause the weight ed end of the pivoted support to rest on the stop member 46, as shown in Figure 3. In this position, the upper end of the bar 48 does not projectvwithin the coin chute 27 and hence causes no hindrance to the insertion ofv a coin to the mechanism.

When the weight ofthe receptacle 12 has been increased by the insertion of a given number of balls18 and a consequent removal of liquid from the receptacle, the greater weight of the balls will cause the receptacle and its contents to overbalance the counter weight 45, thereby raising the bar 48 and causing its vupper endto be projected within the coin chute 27 and across the slot 26. This effectively closes the slot 26 and prevents the insertion of other coins until the dispensingY machine has received attention. This may be accomplished by opening the door ll, removing the receptacle 12, emptying the balls 18 therefrom and replacing them in thetubular conveyor 19, and refilling the In this dispensing device I have provided a simple, economical and effective means for dispensing small and uniform quantities receptacle with liquid to be dispensed. j

of a liquid, the 'j vending operation being edected by the insertion of a proper coin which becomes aY part of theV operating mechanism.

Some changes may be made/in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device Without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim, any modified forms of structure oruse of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonl ably included Within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

In a Vending machine, a cabinet, a platform therein, a` pair of spaced guides on said platform each formed With a longitudinal slot, a projecting member mounted between said guides and formed with guide members projecting through the slots thereof for slidably supporting the projecting member above the platform, a plunger device slidably mounted on said platform between said guides and normally freely movable beneath said projecting member, said projecting member being formed with a seat to receive a separate device whereby the latter projects into the plane ofthe projecting member, said projecting member being formed with a lateral projection thereon, a hooked retracting member projecting forwardly from said plunger device and loosely engaging the projection on said projecting member, and a spring for retracting the plungerv device.

-WILLIAM C. F. KRUEGER. 

